


Dream of a Crown

by fencecollapsed



Series: Half-Infected Paul [5]
Category: The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals - Team StarKid
Genre: Angst, Dancing, Dreams, F/M, Fantasizing, Hurt/Comfort, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Royalty, Singing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-16
Updated: 2020-06-16
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:01:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24751276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fencecollapsed/pseuds/fencecollapsed
Summary: The music is in full range as he approaches a second spotlight, casting its blue glow over his beloved. She stands waiting for him, one leg poking out from the slit in her stunning, royal blue gown, silver heel shimmering.
Relationships: Paul Matthews/Emma Perkins
Series: Half-Infected Paul [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1718695
Comments: 3
Kudos: 54





	Dream of a Crown

**Author's Note:**

> Can't sleep, had this idea, churned it out in like an hour. I hope it's alright! Song lyrics from Sugar by Paper Route

Dreams of blue, a warm spotlight glowing in the darkness. It's familiar. Tantalizing. Paul steps into the spotlight, feels the warmth engulf his form. The light moves, leading him forward. He follows it through the starry night, and as he walks he can hear a gentle melody growing closer. Stronger. He walks in step with it, wondering where the song will lead him, though part of him already knows. The anticipation makes him giddy.

Finally, the music is in full range as he approaches a second spotlight, casting its blue glow over his beloved. She stands waiting for him, one leg poking out from the slit in her stunning, royal blue gown, silver heel shimmering. Paul picks up his step to a prance to reach her quicker, and with perfect timing she holds out her hand for him to take, twirling her into his arms, her skirt billowing out around her. Their spotlights have merged into one as they melt in their embrace, her hand on his chest and the other encased in his own. He takes her in.

Tan skin, clear and lightly freckled from years of exposure to the sun. Dark brown hair loose from her bun, hanging over bright, sparkling sapphire eyes that crease with her smile. Her perfect, knowing, blue-stained smile. She's a star in his arms, he's sure it's not just the silver tiara on her head shimmering. It's her.

His love. His soulmate. His songbird. His queen.

_ "Emmaaaa~" _

He sings, and she laughs like sweet bells, reaching up to touch his face.

_ "Under the eyelids, under the eyelids. That's where you're hiding. That's where you're hiding." _

Paul falls into step with her easily. A slow waltz. A conversation, seeped in blue. No thought, just steps and song. It's perfect, like they've done it a thousand times.

_ "Like I'm a stranger, signalling danger." _ Paul carries on.  _ "But I'm a beggar. But I'm a beggar." _

_ "Take me back, take me home… You were right, all along." _

_ "You are where I belong." _

They step apart, another twirl, and Emma is so graceful Paul is sure it steals his heart all over again. When she's enveloped in his arms once more, the motion sends Paul's cape sweeping around her. He sways her gently, taking a moment to appreciate the extravagance of his own outfit. His light blue tux is admittedly dazzling, the cape adding just the right dramatic flair. The silver crown atop his head slides forward and Emma reaches to adjust it. Paul kisses her forehead, leaving a small blue mark, before pulling her back into step, back to the song.

The stars in the darkness blink like a shimmering night, the admiring eyes of the Hive watching their king and queen. Listening. Keeping their place in the song, just like they always do. Perfect, perfect, perfect.

_ "I've given you all I am."  _ Paul brushes a lock of hair behind Emma's ear, preparing for another twirl.  _ "Given you all I am. I've given you all I am…" _

This time when Emma returns to him, he catches her in a dip, lowering her near to the floor, both her dress and his cape dragging behind. She wraps her arms around his neck.

_ "You are where I belong." _

She reaches up to kiss him, wasting no time in turning his neck blue. Just like everything around them, flooded in blue and warmth and bliss. Just like everything should be, and  _ will  _ be, Paul realizes, once he accepts what he is. What purpose he has been given. The blue drains from his surroundings, from Emma, and Paul is left the sole source of color with a choice to make.

\--

A hardly-awake Emma delivers a halfhearted kick to Paul's side, her trick to stop his mumbly, barely comprehensible sleep singing. His eyes open, and Emma blinks against the sudden blaring blue light.

"Jesus, turn down the fucking flashlights," she mumbles, stuffing her face in her pillow. 

All Paul does is roll from his back to his side, fully facing her now. She feels his cool, gentle hand pushing her hair behind her ear, stroking her cheek.

_ "If I'm the great sea, you're what I'm reflecting." _

"Ugh, what?" 

Emma looks up, Paul still caressing her face, and is met with his pulsing alien eyes. He seems to consciously dial back the brightness when he sees her squinting, clearing her vision of his dazed, lovesick expression. Bright eyes half lid, smile soft and crooked, face notably smeared and dripping with slime. His hand hasn't left her face. He drifts closer.

_ "Blue in the evening. So blue in the evening…" _

"Paul? You asleep?"

He kisses her forehead. She can feel the blue dripping down to her nose.

"You would make such a lovely Hive queen, Emma…"

Okay, she's awake now. Fully sat up, out of his reach, she grabs her pillow and gives a good swing at Paul's head, promptly knocking him back onto the mattress and snapping him awake for real. It takes him exactly five seconds of looking up at Emma's mortified expression to realize what he said. He scrambles clumsily to his feet.

"Oh god, I'm- shit, I'm so sorry, Em…" He's frantically pushing his hair back and wiping his forearm over his dripping mouth. "I'm so fucking sorry, I have no idea what came over me…"

"Yeah, no shit." Emma sighs, relieved.

Paul squeezes his eyes shut and rubs his temples. "That is not something I want. That is an impulsive thought I do not agree with. I will never spread this infection beyond myself. The Hive ends with me."

A script of reminders he recites sometimes. When the impulses leftover from the Hive's grip on him become overwhelming.

"Hey, breathe." Emma reminds. He forgets that one.

He obeys. "Thanks."

"Yeah. C'mon, come here."

"...Should I?"

"Sit the fuck down, Paul."

He obeys. Emma holds onto his arm to keep him grounded, to show that she's there. That she trusts him.

"It's okay, Paul. I'm okay, you're okay.  _ We're _ okay."

He nods, not looking at her. She reaches up and kisses his cheek softly. 

"It's okay. It's just a thought, okay? That's all it is."

Another nod. Just a thought. Just a dream. Just stupid orders from a stupid alien consciousness that he's not even connected to strongly enough to have any real say over his stupid actions. It's nothing but a stupid fucking impulse, like the thought to unbuckle and throw himself out of the car in the middle of the freeway. Something he's never acted on and never will act on. Just a thought.

Emma smiles as Paul's nodding grows more intense. She squeezes his arm.

"Hey. Are we okay?"

Paul laughs a little, still nodding. "Yeah. We're okay."

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! <3


End file.
